Mechanism for the propulsion of watercraft



Jun 1, 1943. R, J. L.-MOl-NEAU 2,320,640

MECHANISM FOR THE PROPULSION OF WATERCRAFT Filed July 29, 1959 Fame Iose h Louis flm nequ lNVENTofQ *QQ'AATT'Y.

Patented June I, 1943 OFFICE MECHANISM FOR THE PROPULSION OF WATERCRAFT Ren Joseph Louis Moineau,

Paris, France;

vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application July 29, 1939, Serial No. 287,297 In France August 8, 1938 3 Claims.

The present invention consists of a mechanism forthe propulsion of vessels, boats and like watercraft which comprises at least one blade (or wing) the transverse profile of which has a thicl ness which decreases from front to rear, the said blade having a beating movement which is such that the blade remains always parallel to itself and which takes place on a path having a component at right angles to the large faces of the blade.

Owing to its beating movement in the water, which beating movement has a frequency which can be greatly varied and an amplitud which can also be varied from a few millimetres to several decimetres or more, said blade permits of obtaining, due to its particular profile, a great propelling action, to which may be added lifting effects and stabilizing effects particularly against rolling and/or pitching movements.

Due to the great density of water (800' times that of air) the effects of propulsion are sufliciently high to enable such mechanism of being used in a satisfactory manner.

In the accompanying drawing, which is given solely by way of example:

Fig. 1 is an elevational side View of an improved boat according to the invention.

Fig.2 is a corresponding front View.

Fig.3 i a side view of another modification, in which the blade is located at the rear and is combined with vertical planes forming a rudder.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view analogous to Fig. 3, of a modiiied apparatus adapted for electric operation.

Figs. 6 and 7 are a side view and a front view of another boat provided with stationary blades, in'which the beating movement is obtained by means of the pitching and/or rolling motion.

Fig. 8*is a horizontal section on the line 8-8 of Fig;6.

Figs. 9 and 10 are rear other modification.

In the embodiment represented in Fig. 1, below and side views of anthe hull l of the watercraft (boat or small vessel) is mounted in the transverse and horizontal position a. blade 2 having a profile whose thickness decreases gradually from front to rear. The blade is for example rounded at the front upon its leading edge 3, and is narrowed to the maximum degree towards the rear, its trailing edge being as thin as possible. The said blade is rigid ly suspended from two links 5 which are located on either side of the hull and are held in a. vertical or substantially vertical position by springs 6, l or like elastic devices'which are secured to the hull at 8 and 9. At their upper ends, the said links are provided with eccentric straps I0 which are rotatably mounted on two eccentric discs ll, secured at the same angle to a horizontal transverse shaft l2. The said shaft I2 is preferably provided with balancing masses I2 and is driven in either direction by a motor l3 which may-act upon the shaft either directly as shown, or indirectly through any suitable transmission. At the rear, the hull is provided with the usual rudder l4 and if desired with two stationary lateral blades l5 which serve to form a fixed horizontal plane. When the shaft l2 rotates, it produces a substantially vertical beating movement of the blade 2, owing to the springs 6 and 1.

Experiments have shown that this movement produces an important propulsive effect, and the forward thrust on the blade will thus be transmitted to the boat through the springs 1. More-; over, if the blade is inclined downwardly from the leading edge to the trailing edge, as aircraft wings, the forward motion of the boat will give rise to a reaction or force which is substantially perpendicular to the said blade and directed upwardly, that is a lifting eiiect on the boat is obtained.

In other words, if the blade 2 has a certain positive incidence, the front springs B being for instance shorter than the rear springs 1, the blade will bring about a reduction of the displacement, proportional to the speed of the boat.

At the same time, the blades will produce an anti-rolling effect, because as the boat tends to incline towards the right, for instance, the part of the blade situated to the right will have a relative incidence resulting in a lifting action, and inversely for the left. This anti-rolling effect increases with increasing width of the blade.

The pitching movements also set up forces which act against the movements by which they are produced, and which are thus of a stabilizing nature; both upon the movable blade 2 and the fixed blade l5.

Obviously, the drive by eccentric discs may be replaced by a drive by a crank-shaft with eccentric crank-pins.

In the case of a boat such as the one illustrated a good balance may be obtained by placing the centre of gravity of the entire craft between the blades 2 and i5.

Figs. 2 and 4 illustrate an embodiment in which the rear rudder consists of two vertical planes 22 which are rigidly secured to the lateral ends of a horizontal blade 23 suspended from a vertical,

parallelogram 24, 25, 26, 21 which is deformable by means of a hand-control lever 28 which is in line with the side 21 and which permits of giving vertical beats to the blade 23 by the oscillation of the lever 28 about the axis 29, or of turning the whole device about the vertical axis in order to obtain a rudder effect and hence a change of direction.

Fig. 5 shows a modification, in which the device 22, 23 is secured by a rod 30 to the core 3| of an electro-magnet 32. The said core 3i is slidably keyed in the said electro-magnet, and it is supported by a spring 33 so as to slightly pro.- ject out of the field coil at the top, the core being attracted downwardly when the coil 32 carries current. The latter is rotatable in a support 34 and is secured to a lever 28 by which the whole device 32, 30, 22, 23 can be turned in order to steer the vessel. If the assembly 32, 30, 22 and 23 is turned by means of the lever 28 through an angle of 180, a vertical beating movement of the blade will effect a back motion of the vessel. In the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 5, it is simply necessary, by means of a switch which may be automatic or not, to make and break the circuit of the electro-magnet 32 in order to produce a vertical beating movement of the blade 23, thus providing for the desired propelling effect. It should be noted that the electro-magnet may be replaced by any other driving device.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show a modification in which the hull I has rigidly secured thereto, two horizontal blades 35 which are located on either side of the hull, as wellas a vertical blade 36 situated below the keel. The said blades, which have a profile as above defined, ensure the propulsion by means of orthogonal beats which are produced by the rolling movements of the hull, these movements, which are due to the waves or to any other cause (such as the wind) being moreover impeded by the said blades.

It should be observed that in this embodiment, as in the preceding, the span of the blades should be substantially perpendicular to the direction of the displacement relatively to the fluid, but the blade may ifdesired form a dihedral angle.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10, upon the eccentric crank-pin 31 of a shaft 38 driven by a motor 39, is loosely mounted a hub 40 carrying a certain number of blades 4| whose front edge is rounded and whose rear edge is thin. The shaft 33 may be provided with heavy masses 42 which are adapted to bring the centre ofgravity upon the axis of its bearing or bearings, and which will be in reality more or less contained in a hub. During the rotation of said shaft, the cross-shaped device formed by the hub 43 and the blades 4| is given a circular movement of translation, accompanied or not by slightmovements of oscillation; the different blades have thus a beating movement and will provide for the propulsion. It is possible to employ members.

connecting the said device (40', 4 I) to the hulll in order to prevent it from rotating on its own axis relatively to the boat; in this case the crossshaped member has an anti-rolling effect. If it is mounted at the end of the hull, as shown, it will also act against the pitching motion.

It is to be noted that the shaft 38 might be provided with several throws, each carrying a cross-shaped member similar to. the one illustrated. It should be further noted that if desired, the axis of the cross-shaped member need not be exactly parallel to the axis 38.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the embodiments herein described and shown, which are given solely by way of example. It is evident that the boat, vessel or other watercraft might be provided with one or more beating blades whose thin edge is located in front and whose rounded edge is'in the rear, thus providing for the back motion of such boat or other craft.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a watercraft having a hull, a mechanism for propelling said watercraft comprising at least one blade arranged in a substantially horizontal position below the waterline of said hull, said blade having a transverse profile whose thickness decreases from one longitudinal edge of the blade to the other, elements associated with said blade for steering said watercraft, and means for imparting to said blade a reciprocating beating movement substantially at right angles to the chords of said blade.

2. In combination with a watercraft having a hull, a mechanism for propelling said watercraft comprising at least one blade arranged'in a substantially horizontal position below the waterline of said hull, said blade having a transverse profile whose thickness decreases from one longitudinal edge of the blade to the other, elements associ: ated with said blade for steering said watercraft, a hand operated member adapted to. control said elements to steer the watercraft and to impart to said blade a reciprocating beating movement substantially at right angles to the chords of the pro-file of said blade.

3. In combination with a watercraft having a hull, a mechanism for propelling said watercraft comprising at least one blade arranged in a substantially horizontal position below the water,- line of said hull and having atransverse profile whose thickness decreases from one longitudinal edge of the blade to the other, means for imparting to said blade a beating movement substantially perpendicular to the chords of the profile of the blade, and means for turning said blade in its own plane through an angle of at least so as to permit of directing the thick edge of the blade selectively towards the front end or towards the rear end of the watercraft to provide for forward travel or towards the rear end to provide for back motion, respectively.

RENE JOSEPH LOUIS MQI'NEAU. 

